The Duchess of Sorrows.

Chapter Four: Secrets of A Sinister Kind.

     

Valgard, Duchy of Sorrows. Year of our Gods, 1520.

Palace of Tallon, Valgard city-center. 

     Lilliana paced her presence chambers impatiently. It was crisp and chilly, but she had not allowed her ladies, except for Lady Dollivan, to attend her just yet. She managed to light the hearth by herself, and then continued to pace. Any creak of the floor or scurry of distant mice had her eyes darting towards the entrance to her rooms. Finally, Lady Dollivan knocked lightly three times.

"Enter!" Lilliana snapped, she loathed waiting.

Lady Dollivan led to men inside of the chamber, her head bowed and eyes towards the floor. It was clear she was uncomfortable, more so than Lilliana had ever seen her.

"Sir Knivvet and Sir Kenngington, Your Majesty. They have come from the Southern Coast per Your Majesty's request..." Lady Dollivan announced quietly.

"Thank you, my lady. You may leave us." Lilliana replied. The principle lady fled with a appreciative smile upon her lips.

The two men could not have been more than two or three summers than Lilliana. They were not as she expected. Instead of rogue and weathered, they were fresh faced and young. They wore no eye patches or sinister scars. Instead, their dress was of the finest fabrics and upon their hats sat the finest feather plumes. She noticed that one was a smidgen taller than the other, but what he lacked in height he more than made up for in strength.

"Gentlemen, welcome to Valgard. Have you ever visited the city before?" Lilliana watched as they bowed low and then rose again.

"We have not, Your Majesty." Sir Knivvet answered. Sir Kennington, the taller of the two, remained silent.

"Please, sit. We have business to attend to, no?" She led them to the cushioned chairs stationed next to the fire and poured them all spiced wine in small goblets.

"We have heard of your....problem, Your Majesty. And yet we wonder how we may be of assistance. Our forte is murder and thievery. To be quite honest, we thought you asked us here for some crimes we have committed." Sir Knivvet sipped his wine and eyed Lilliana skeptically.

"Though I disprove of your practices, Sir Knivvet, it seems I need your help. I ask that you and your accomplice-"

"Partner." Sir Kennington corrected, his voice mimicking stone. Lilliana dipped her head in recognition and then continued.

"Excuse me, partner. I ask that you and your partner scour the cities in which the rebellions have been out breaking. I wish for you to find the rebellion leaders and bring them back here, to Valgard. I want to make an example out of them, you see. So I will require them alive."

Lilliana waited for his reaction. Sir Knivvet set his wine down and rested his elbows on his knees, studying the Grand Duchess.

"Your Majesty, I must admit, this isn't exactly an assignment we are inclined to take..." 

 Lilliana pulled a large cloth purse out of the folds of her sleeve and dropped it in his lap. It landed with the tinkle and jingle that only a large amount of coins can make. 

"Three thousand pounds, Sir Knivvet. In full. If you bring me exactly what I ask for, there will be more." 

Sir Knivvet's expression was that of shock and disbelief. Sir Kennington looked on with a slightly amused set of the mouth. Lilliana rose elegantly and called for the doors of her chambers to be opened. When the men, still dumbfounded, passed her they bowed only a little.

 "I trust to have a report of your findings in a weeks time, gentlemen." She clipped. She noticed that Sir Kennington cast a glance behind his shoulder as he was walking away. Was that admiration she saw? 

No. Surely not. 

    With the men well handled and on their way, Lilliana called to her Lady Dollivan. The elderly woman emerged from the hallway within moments, and her expression was blank. Lilliana knew of her feelings towards the matter, as the principle lady had made it very clear the night before. Lady Dollivan, however, knew very well to keep her bold opinions to herself unless the two were completely alone. 

   "Your Majesty, the council has sent for three envoys from the Six Domains. They have commissioned from them portrait's of all of the eligible suitors in their respective realms. One has already arrived. One Lord Tyn. He requests an audience with Your Majesty."  Lady Dollivan's words were cold and unemotional, but her face betrayed her. Worry etched itself into her wrinkles. 

      She was right to be worried, for Lilliana was infuriated. 

   "Envoys!" She yelled. 

   "Yes, Your Majesty." Lady Dollivan murmured. 

    "They have over stepped themselves, those idiots! Who is Duchess here? I or them?!" Without allowing Lady Dollivan to answer, Lilliana threw open the doors of her chambers and strode towards the privy council rooms. Her anger fueled her every step and she was ready to spit venom at anyone who dared speak to her. No one did, as anyone could tell she was angrier than they had ever seen her father before her. 

    When she entered the council chambers she found her adviser's just as she suspected she would. Huddled, heads together, in clumps around the room. When they saw her enter, their faces paled considerably. 

   "Who commissioned for the envoys to come here bearing portraits?!" She demanded, slamming her fists upon the table. Her hair was wild about her, and her cloth of gold dress seemed to glow with her fury. No one answered her. 

 "Do not play fools, though that is exactly what you are! Who commissioned the portraits!? Let me remind you who your sovereign is. Just because I am a woman does not mean I am unfit to rule. You are my advisor!" 

    Lord Buckham stepped forward, a shaking in his voice. "Your Majesty, I only thought-" 

  "You thought wrong, Lord Buckham and you have overstepped your bounds. All of you are dismissed. Permanently. I see now that my mother and I truly do need to form an entirely new council. One of my choosing." 

 The men erupted into angry titters and protests. 

"Silence! All of you, leave my sight, and take care to stay out of it for quite some time. Lord Buckham, you may personally tell every envoy that I will not see them or their portraits! Then, you may retire to your country estates until I am not blinded by rage at the sight of you." 

Lilliana's words rocked the men into silence. They all stood, taken aback, staring at the Duchess. 

"Get out!" She screamed. 

Like frightened mice, they scrambled and scurried to leave quicker than the other. When they were finally gone, Lilliana collapsed into her chair at the head of the table. Her anger had exhausted her. Her sadness weighed on her like a thick, suffocating cloud. She had never thought for one moment that her council trusted her so little with her country. Their arrogance caused her to see red. She realized that her head was pounding at the temples. 

  Her mother found her like this, head in hands, seated at the long table. She entered silently and sat to Lilliana's right. She did not speak, but rested her hands on the Lilliana's arm. 

"They have truly lost all good sense, no?" She murmured soothingly. 

"I have dismissed all of them." Lilliana groaned. "I have no council." 

"Well, just because you had a council, does not mean that you had a good one, child. Fret not. We will come together with a new one, one of your choosing alone. Your father would be proud." 

"Those were father's men!" Lilliana replied hotly. 

"Precisely. What use are old, hateful men to a young ruler? They were too old to advise a horse to water let alone the Grand Duchess of Sorrow." Her mother kissed Lilliana's cheek and wiped away the frustrated tears that were beginning to fall from her eyes. "Hush now, child."